The City of Ballarat, undergoing massive population growth and tackling the issues of urban sprawl and climate change, has embarked on a strategic plan to bring residents back to the heart of the city.

Nightingale Ballarat is the granular delivery of this plan. The project includes one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, a shared rooftop garden and community room, a cafe and office at ground floor — all 100% sold prior to completion.  Its form is an elegant response to Ballarat’s late 1800’s boom-era architecture and the rhythm of its more austere brick neighbour to the north with an overarching priority towards social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The project includes simple urban design gestures to activate the street. We took the power lines underground, carved out a generous, semi-public courtyard, planted a significant tree to throw shade over the footpath and built-in seats to improve the pedestrian experience. By pulling back from the north-east, we created a view of the ‘ghost sign’ on the neighbouring wall. We worked with Council’s heritage team to restore the ‘McK’s Jelly Crystal’ sign to give a glimpse back in time.

With zero gas, the project is powered by solar and 100% GreenPower. The entire building achieves an 8+ Star NatHERS rating, and every home is cross-ventilated with access to open-air walkways and operable windows. Materials are robust, recycled, and locally sourced wherever possible, including windows and joinery made in Ballarat. A high-efficiency CO2 heat pump powers shared hydronic heating and hot water systems.

Team:

Architects: Breathe Architecture 

Other Participants: H.Troon, Hygge Property, Openwork, Akas 

Photographers: Kristoffer Paulsen